BACK LOADING TO COAST.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19734, 26 September 1929, Page 8

BACK LOADING TO COAST.

V HIGH RAILWAY FREIGHTS. REDUCTIONS TO BE SOUGHT. After discussing the question of railway freights to the West Coast, a matter winch was tha subject of Con* troversy about four years ago, the executive of the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association decided last evening that Mr H. Bradley (president), the vice-president, and Mr E. H. Marriner (organiser) should interview Mr D. Bodie, commercial manager of the Railway Department, on his arrival from Duncdin this evening, and lay before him a complaint received in reference to the Charges made. Mr Marriner read the following letter from Mr P. H. Venables, a member of the Association:—-

"further to our conversation, I am enclosing a copy of a letter received from the secretary of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. This is in relation to the freight charges on heavy goods forwarded per rail from Christchurch to the West Coast. Owing to West Coast firms being able to fail their goods to Canterbury at a freight competitive with the steamer, Lyttelton is not able to furnish steamer freight for my goods to Greymouth with any degree of regularity, and the Bailway Department, charging 50 per cent, higher, kills the business. Some of my customers are advising me that owing to this position, they are considering placing their orders in Wellington. I think that, in the event of an extended investigation, which I believe will take place, the Manufacturers' Association might take some part." The letter from the Chamber of Commerce stated that Mr H. H. Sterling, General Manager of the Hallways, had promised to send Mr to Christ* church to look into the matter. "You will see that the Department is anxious to ascertain the facts of the case at first-hand," the letter stated. Mr Bradley said at present the trucks used for bringing coal and timber from the coast travelled baeft practically empty. The Department should consider the institution of a cheap backloading freight so that they could be utilised.

Mr F. W. J. Bolton: They will do nothing of the sort. He related an ex* perience of his own in railing goods to the Coast.

Mr I. Woolf said a proposal such as that made by Mr Bradley had been made previously, and had been well supported, but opposition had come from the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce, members of which had feared increased competition. Mr Marriner said Mr F. Fawson, Business Agent for the Bailway Department in Christchureh, was at present on the West Coast investigating the question. The Hardware Association was also moving. Mr C. H. Burson said they would be well advised to seek the co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce in anything they did. Mr Bradley said he had learned from an experience of his own that the railway freight from Christchureh to Hokitika was now twice the steamer and railway charges from Wellington to Hokitika.

It was agreed to approach the Chamber of Commerce on the matter, and to meet Mr Bodie this evening.